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IDA Conversation Series: Matthew Heineman

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NOTE: Due to a family emergency, filmmaker Matthew Heineman is unable to join us. He sends his deepest regrets.

In lieu of a Conversation with Mr. Heineman, we will present a full screening of City of Ghosts followed by a Q&A with a very special guest. The screening will begin at 7:30pm (NeueHouse Hollywood, 6121 Sunset Boulevard), immediately followed by the Q&A and reception.

If your schedule no longer permits you to join us, please let us know.

The premiere event of the Summer/Fall season of the IDA Conversation Series spotlights the work of director Matthew Heineman, one of the most exciting documentary filmmakers working today. Heineman directed the Academy Award®-nominated Cartel Land, a searing look at the Mexican drug war and the vigilante groups fighting Mexican drug cartels. His latest film follows the journey of “Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently”-- a handful of anonymous activists who banded together after their homeland was taken over by ISIS in 2014. With astonishing, deeply personal access, this is the story of a brave group of citizen journalists as they face the realities of life undercover, on the run, and in exile, risking their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today. City of Ghosts premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and is being released in theaters in July by Amazon Studios/IFC Films.

In conversation with Alex Cohen, local host of NPR's "Morning Edition," Heineman will discuss the making of Cartel Land and City of Ghosts, the intersection of documentary and journalism, and portraying some of the most dangerous places on earth.

Cartel Land was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary, and also won three Primetime Emmy Awards, including Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. In addition to City of Ghosts and Cartel Land, Heineman’s filmography includes the Emmy-Nominated documentary feature Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare. Heineman is currently working on a few projects, including a 6-part docu series that will premiere in 2018.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to delve into the fascinating behind-the-scenes stories that illustrate Heineman’s documentaries. Ample time for Q&A will be included in the program.

Documentary Now! is a loving send up of some of the world’s best-known documentaries. Join us for a screening of "Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid" (based on Brett Morgen and Nanette Burstein's The Kid Stays In The Picture) followed by Q&A with stars Fred Armisen and Bill Hader and directors Rhys Thomas and Alex Buono in conversation with Matt Holzman, producer of The Document on KCRW.